A pregnant woman has filed a lawsuit against Arkansas State Police after an officer overturned her vehicle while attempting to stop her for alleged speeding.
In July 2020, an Arkansas State Police officer identified a car allegedly speeding at 60 miles per hour on an Arkansas highway.
Video footage has captured the moment the officer used a specific maneuver to stop and flip the vehicle, only to discover the driver was pregnant.
Officer Rodney Dunn executed a ‘PIT’ maneuver, which stands for precision immobilization technique.
According to the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs: “The PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) Maneuver is a technique used by law enforcement personnel to force a fleeing vehicle to abruptly turn 180 degrees, causing the vehicle to stall and stop.”
Reports indicate that Officer Dunn performed this maneuver while the car was allegedly still traveling at 60 miles per hour. The footage shows the aftermath of the vehicle being flipped, with Officer Dunn approaching to check on the driver.
In the video, the officer is seen asking if the driver is ‘the only one in the vehicle’.
The woman, Janice Harper, responds: “Yes. I’m pregnant!”
When questioned about why she didn’t ‘stop,’ Harper explained she ‘didn’t feel like it was safe’.
Dunn responded: “Well, this is where you ended up.”
Harper mentioned she ‘thought it would be safer to wait until the exit,’ but Dunn indicated that you should always ‘pull over when law enforcement stops you’.
Harper proceeded to sue the police force, asserting that she had activated her blinker and emergency lights while searching for a safe place to pull over.
She described the use of the PIT maneuver as ‘excessive use of force’ and accused the officer of ‘negligence,’ putting not only her life but also her unborn child’s life at risk, as reported by ABC7.
The lawsuit was eventually settled, with Arkansas State Police agreeing to restrict the use of the PIT maneuver. The settlement stipulated that it should only be employed to protect an officer or third party from serious injury or death.
Harper’s attorney, Andrew Norwood, expressed satisfaction with the policy changes, stating to AP News: “We are extremely pleased that we were able to secure the policy changes and updated guidelines pertaining to the use of PIT maneuvers which was the primary goal of this case and will help protect all Arkansans moving forward.”
“While Mrs. Harper will undoubtedly need time to recover from the psychological trauma she suffered after the PIT maneuver in question, she is excited to close this chapter of her life and focus more on her family.”
Arkansas State Police mentioned that Officer Dunn faced disciplinary action for the incident. They also stated: “The Arkansas State Police periodically initiates revisions to its pursuit policy to ensure it is consistent with applicable case law and existing training related to the PIT maneuver.”
“The department has consistently required its troopers to apply an objectively reasonable standard when using the PIT maneuver and will continue to do so.”
It was reported that Harper’s baby was delivered safely with no complications from the incident.